Category Archives: Travel Fun

Day 291: The Cook’s House

 

 

 

 

 

On Day 291, the hubs and I had an amazing meal at The Cook’s House in Traverse City. We found a place to stay on AirBnB–an over the garage studio just south west of down town. We were able to walk right over to the restaurant, which looks, in fact, like a cook’s house.

 

Outside a few steps lead up to the porch and through the open front door into what would have been someone’s living room. Instead a woman behind a tiny bar greets us and motions us to a table by the big bay window overlooking the porch. There are a few tables inside with an open view into the kitchen. Cookbooks line the shelves along with wine glasses and alcohols. And if you are lucky enough to sit by the kitchen, you have full access to the chef for conversation while he prepares your meal. It is so cozy, I imagine the chefs just going upstairs after service for a glass of wine and goodnight.

 

We were sitting near the door–which was good because I don’t think they had A/C–in full view of the kitchen and earshot of the lively conversation he was having with the table nearest him. At one point, a sous chef left the kitchen, through the restaurant and out the front door, to pick some herbs from the garden and then put them in a salad or on a fish. We enjoyed a fresh, farm-to-table five course tasting dinner in this relaxed and fun environment. A definite must go if you are in Northern Michigan!

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Day 290: Airstream, 2:00am

It’s 2:19 am in Michigan and I’m in a sleeping bag in an airstream. How did I get here? I wasn’t supposed to be in Michigan until tomorrow (later today). An impromptu night drive instead of an early morning one seemed more appealing. So frantic packing and tying up loose ends followed by 6 hours of driving (including a few stops) in a Prius with four humans and a lot of bags and we are here, ready for tomorrow’s adventures.

Day 265: Hike and Weekend Recap

Another thing I did not realize that I love and am fully capable of doing is hiking. We took a .75 mile hike up Empire Bluffs. Under the trees it felt like a rainforest. Up on the bluffs, the view was massive, even in fog. It felt so invigorating and rewarding to get to the top, I was worried the .75 mile back would be disappointing. Let me tell you, it was not. I loved being surrounded by nature, meeting people on the path and saying hello. The whole place and the whole trip had great vibes. Some of my pictures from the day are below, but for a way better photo recap of the entire weekend, visit this Emily Alt Photography Blog Post. She and her husband were our hosts and I just love all of the details of our Northern Michigan Getaway that she captured in her photos.

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Day 264: Race Cheering, Eating, Drinking and Exploring!

I just cannot fathom how I will effectively communicate what an amazing time I had this weekend in Northern Michigan. Day 264 was a FULL day. I mean when the birds wake you up at 5:30am, you can get a lot done.

After wishing our race friends luck, the rest of us lazily got ready to greet our 5K runner, Allison, at the finish line and our Half Marathon runner, Emily, in the designated “cheering section.” We screamed as Allison finished her race. She was immediately ready for coffee and a snack. At the cheering section for the half marathon, we struck a good rhythm cheering for all the runners as they passed, though we were exceptionally loud (and obnoxious) as Emily came through. At her finish line, I managed to take this picture her husband cheering her on!

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After race cheering, we went right into a hike to the beach near the property. It was short, beautiful and the dogs got to run like crazy in the sand. This beach was so quiet and private. We didn’t see anyone else the entire time.

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We followed beach time with a lunch stop in Leland at the Cheese Shanty and then pressed on to the largest city in the area, Traverse City, with a downtown so cute it makes you want to drink coffee and play Jenga. Which is exactly what we did at a Brew where coffee was actually $1! From there we had cider at Left Foot Charley’s and explored Traverse City Commons on the grounds of a revolutionary, former state hospital.

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20130620-233118.jpgFrom here, we tasted beers at 7 Monks before heading back to the campsite for some R and R before dinner at Art’s, another campfire and s’mores. Unfortunately the evening was cut a little short by intense thunderstorms (don’t worry, most of us slept in the house that night). This gorgeous, action-packed day left me feeling carefree and so happy to get to experience such fun things with such good people.

Day 263: New Love = Camping

This weekend was an adventure: new places, new terrain, new favorite outdoor activities. Over the course of the weekend, I rediscovered camping and hiking. I did a fair amount of camping in college but the hubs hasn’t been since childhood.

We drove up to Leelanau County in northern Michigan where our friends own a small piece of Heaven-secluded land and an old farmhouse. We camped on the land because, well, why not? And the house isn’t totally livable, though it does have running water (and good, no ghost vibes). Because the hubs and I were the last to arrive, our friends generously set up our new tent for us by the time we got there. All we had to do was blow up the air matress, lay out sleeping bags and pillows, and we were good to go.

After seeing a little of the nearest town (Empire, MI population 370) we settled into campfire, songs and dog playtime before hitting the sack. Now the hubs and I were most concerned about our dog, Elphie. Would she sleep? Or stay up growling and barking at “outdoor night noises?” We discovered that this dog was actually MADE for outdoor living. She hopped right into the tent and fell asleep on my feet, happy as a farm dog in a horse barn.

Our other big concern, with my RA, was my ability to sleep on the ground (hence the air mattress) and generally get in and out of the tent. I got into the tent ok. Getting out required a lift from the hubs-as does getting up from any low point like beach, ground, floor. This is concerning to me so I’m working on figuring out what muscles I can use and what joints I can put pressure on to get up on my own. However, I was comfy and cozy sleeping in the tent. I loved snuggling down into my sleeping bag with my husband and dog right by me. I woke up (at the actual crack of dawn due to some very energetic birds) feeling amazing and not at all stiff. Honestly I cannot wait to do it again!

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